Bairstow and Briggs book time off

Yorkshire’s Jonny Bairstow and Hampshire’s Danny Briggs have withdrawn from the Champions League t20, which begins with next week's qualifying tournament.

The young duo have been representing England at the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka and have opted out of the club competition in South Africa.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Bairstow, who was 23 on Wednesday, has decided to rest ahead of England’s Test tour to India later this month. He had a busy summer, playing his first four Tests and continuing to feature in limited-overs internationals. He has been replaced by 18-year-old Eddie Wilson.

Jonny Bairstow, right, cheaply falls to Danny Briggs in the Friends Life t20 final. Neither will take part in the Champions League t20

Left-arm spinner Briggs, 21, postponed his wedding until October 11 to play in the World T20 but has decided against doing so again. His place has gone to seamer David Balcombe, 27, Hampshire’s leading wicket-taker this year whose only competitive T20 game for the county was six years ago.

Friends Life t20 runners-up Yorkshire begin their qualifying campaign versus Uva Next on Tuesday at the Wanderers in Johannesburg and Hampshire, who won their second domestic t20 title in three years, against Auckland Aces at Centurion a day later.

Six teams, split into two groups, are in the qualifier with two, one less than last year, progressing to the competition proper which runs from October 15-28.